Fatma Aydemir over integratie en de verschillende generaties

Third generation immigrant children are growing up in Europe now, but to what extent do they feel at home in the society they grow up in? Do they fit in or do people treat them as secondhand citizens? German writer Fatma Aydemir, stemming from a family of immigrants herself, gives us a closer look into the Turkish immigrant society in her debut novel Ellebogen. During this evening we will speak with Fatma Aydemir about her debut, power relations, integration and multiculturalism.

Aydemir will engage in conversation with professor Paul Scheffer and writer Murat Isik. They will discuss to what extent a person is responsible for their own position in society and when circumstances make the difference. We will also discuss the influence of neighborhoods where immigrant children grow up in, whether this is Wedding (Berlin) or the Bijlmer (Amsterdam) from the eighties.

Fatma Aydemir made a great impression with her controversial debut novel (2017) wherefore she received the Klaus-Michael-Kühne-Prijs. Ellebogen tells the story about a girl with Turkish roots that gets fed up with the discrimination that she has to deal with on a daily basis. This frustration builds up to the point in where she pushes a student in front of the metro and flies to Turkey. She feels no remorse. The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote; "Ellebogen is like a kick in the stomach. Or better put, two kicks. One for the misogynie in the Turkish society and another one for the hypocrisy of our society.’’

Aydemir studied German and American studies in Frankfurt. She writes about popculture and Turkey for the german newspaper Taz. Aydemir also took initiative for the bilingual webportal taz.gazete in reaction to restrictions of press freedom in Turkey.

Paul Scheffer is publicist and professor European Studies at the University of Tilburg and the University of Amsterdam. Before this, he took chair in the position of professor of urban issues at the University of Amsterdam. Sheffer wrote many publications in Holland and Europe, among which Het multiculturele drama en Het land van aankomst (2007) and, De vrijheid van de grens (2016).

Murat Isik (Izmir, 1977) wrote his debut novel Verloren Grond in 2012, wherefor he received De Bronzen Uil and he also got nominated for the Academica Literatuurprijs. His book was reprinted multiple times and was translated in German, Swedish and Turkish. In May 2017 his second novel came out: Wees onzichtbaar. This novel was chosen as the NRC Handelsblad Book of the year 2017 and got nominated for the BNG literatureprize and the Halewijnprize.

Fatma Aydemir was invited by het Nederlandse Letterfonds to live and work as writer in residence from 17th January until 19th of February.